Defence officials in South Korea are investigating whether pop star Rain broke military rules after photos of him meeting an actress surfaced.

BBC: South Korean singer Rain in military service row

There are big plans for Russia, sub-Saharan Africa and South Korea, where HSBC is waiting for regulators to approve its 51% stake purchase in Korea Exchange Bank from Lone Star.

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There are also a number of high-profile Twitter users in Korea, from the president to pop star Kim Hee-chul.

FORBES: Twitter Hits Nearly 200M Accounts, 110M Tweets Per Day, Focuses On Global Expansion

IMF's star pupils, Thailand and South Korea, are recovering without any such controls.

ECONOMIST: Mahathir, closet westerner

In South Korea, Thailand, Sri Lanka and India, tutorial schools use star tutors to attract even more students.

BBC: Meet the 'tutor kings and queens'

Pak Se Ri's victory in the U.S. Women's Open in July made her a star on the professional golf circuit and a national heroine in Korea.

CNN: SPARKS IN THE DARKNESS

Stocks popular with the star funds include Grupo Televisa, Latin America's media powerhouse, and SK Telecom, South Korea's biggest cell phone company, with 18.6 million subscribers.

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South Korea started the match brightly and took the lead on 23 minutes after Japan defender Yasuyuki Konno brought down Manchester United star Park Ji-sung in the penalty area.

CNN: Japan to face Australia in Asian Cup final